Scientists Condemn NACC Communication Strategy

By Christopher Jator Njechu

Scientists of the Cameroon Association of Young Scientists, CAMAYS, have condemned the communication strategy used by the National AIDS Control Committee, NACC.

The scientists were speaking at a sub-regional workshop on HIV/AIDS and mining in Cameroon on the theme, "The Development of Adaptive HIV/AIDS Management Strategies for Local Communities in Mining Regions of Cameroon" that held at the British Council in Yaounde last weekend.

They said the NACC communication strategy has not contributed to the effective fight against HIV/AIDS. Led by Cameroonian scientist and university lecturer, Dr. Isaac Njilah Konfor, the scientists said in spite of the implication of NACC in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, an increasing number of Cameroonians still contract and live with the disease.

Shifu Ngalla, an expert in communication and media policy, blamed the situation on a "missing link" in the communication strategy used by NACC. He pointed out the fact that the communication strategy has led to a situation where many Cameroonians are informed about HIV/AIDS, but because the messages don't carry core elements to induce change, receivers perceive them as mere information on the existence of the disease.

Shifu made it clear that the messages are laden with weaknesses that make it practically difficult to effect behaviour change. He said the messages are not tailored to target specific population groups and culture, nor take into consideration the level of illiteracy, language, ability to afford radio/TV sets and the fact that their receivers, who for the most part are poor people living in pain and suffering, hardly identify with the messages.

This is made worse as NACC itself is far from being credible and many of its workers drive luxurious cars, spend precious time talking politics and diplomacy in matters of AIDS or attend big ceremonies.

Shifu said the NACC tends not to respect the various components of the audience in the conception, design and dissemination of messages. Hear him: "Messages are conceived, designed and transmitted all over the country as standardised products: audience considered as a uniform entity…

Meanwhile, issues like gender composition, age, social identity groups like school children, drinking communities and cultural landscapes for receivers to identify with are ignored or not adequately carried."

Risk Groups

Speaking along this line, was Dr. Wanka who made an overview of AIDS in the country.
In order to show the gravity of the situation, Wanka said in a population of 18,060,000 people in the country, the prevalence of AIDS has taken an evolution from 0.5 percent in 1987, 11 percent in 2000 and 5.5 percent in 2004.

He said the swelling unemployment rate of about 30 percent to 48 percent who live below the poverty line is liable for this alarming rate of infection. Risk groups include sex workers, truck drivers, mobile population, military personnel, young people, agro-industrial workers and workers in the mining sector.

According to Wanka, prevalence rate is accounted for by the denial phenomenon, taboo on families, poverty, high burden on youths who constitute 50 percent of the population, lack of sex education, polygamy and the like.